Integrity of game at stake – Adam

Season must be played to finish, insists Reading star

Charlie Adam insists the current football season must be played to a finish – no matter when, where or how.

And the Dundee-born star reckons both of his home town clubs should be pushing for it to happen.

Adam, whose own EFL Championship campaign with Reading is on hiatus, is desperate to get back to playing football again.

He believes the vast majority of his fellow professionals feel the same.

But the former Rangers, Liverpool and Stoke City man’s biggest concern is ensuring fair outcomes for every team in the country.

“The season needs to be finished – it’s as simple as that,” said Adam. “No matter how it finishes, whether it’s in front of fans or behind closed doors, it needs to get finished for the integrity of the game.

“For promotion, for relegation, for teams who are on the verge of winning leagues, you can’t just null and void the season. It would be wrong.

“And if that means games need to be played behind closed doors into June, July, then fair play.

“I’m all for anything that gets us back to playing football when it’s right and safe to do so.

“I understand that people are champing at the bit, I understand that BT Sport and Sky want their contracts acknowledged.

“There are going to be tough times for everybody. But when the time is right, we need to finish the season.”

Adam has spent the vast majority of his career in the English Premier League.

However, he remains a proud Scot – and an avid watcher of Scottish football.

That’s why he believes it’s imperative that clubs, the SPFL and the SFA come together to get the season finished, from the Premiership right down the pyramid.

“There’s still a lot to play for in Scotland,” he said.

“Celtic and Rangers are still going for the title. Motherwell and Aberdeen are still going for third.

“The rest are still vying for the top six, then you’ve got Hearts down at the bottom fighting against relegation.

“In the Championship, it looks like Dundee United are going to win the league and, listen, they’ve been the best team, they’ve had the best player in the league all season and fair play to them for that.

“But they’ve said it themselves – they deserve to play the remaining games that would seal the title for them.”

As a lifelong Dundee fan, conceding United’s superiority this season ought to be a sore point for Adam.

However, with designs on a future career in management, he is adept at applying unbiased analysis.

He doesn’t see any point in denying the obvious – that United have been a cut above the rest of the Championship.

But Adam believes Dundee are still in with a shout of promotion and should be just as keen to resume their campaign.

“In the games I’ve seen this season Dundee have been too inconsistent,” said the former Scotland midfielder.

“But Christophe (Berra) going in there is a massive help to them. His experience, his leadership, the level he has played at … and (Graham) Dorrans as well, he’s got his future sorted now.

“When you get these types of players in the door it’s a big thing.

“And for Dundee, the shutdown has been a particularly huge blow because

“… you can’t just null and void the season. It would be wrong. CHARLIE ADAM

it looked like they were really coming good.

“But at the end of the day, United have been the most consistent team in the league and they deserve to be where they are.

“I can understand why United want to finish the season and win that league on merit. But Dundee will want to get these games played too – just as much as United do.

“There’s the play-offs, obviously, but I’ve also heard a wee bit of talk about possible league reconstruction, so if Dundee can get to a point where, let’s say, a win on the last day would see them finish second, that would be massive.

“You have to be in the right place to take advantage of things like that if they happen, so I’m sure Dundee will be desperate to get going again as soon as the situation allows.”

Having signed a one-year deal with

Reading last summer, Adam finds himself in the same, out-of-contract boat as a great number of players in Scotland.

However, his desire to avoid a “null and void” scenario for clubs up and down the country means he is ready to play after his current agreement ends.

“I’m out of contract at the end of May, but I’m willing to play in June, July to get the season finished,” he said.

“I understand that some players might want to protect themselves, younger players, or players who aren’t in the financial position to risk anything.

“But in that scenario, the clubs just have to look at paying the extra few months. They’re going to have to.

“It’s going to be tough. It’s either that or players who are out of contract don’t play in games from June, July onward.

“But I’m definitely willing to play and I just want to see the season finished because it has been a tough few weeks.”

Picture: SNS Group. Charlie Adam: Believes Dundee should be just as keen as neighbours United to see the Championship season played to a finish.